The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety has a life-saving warning for motorists with travel plans for the Christmas and New Year holiday driving periods. “Over The Limit. Under Arrest,” declared GOHS Director Bob Dallas as he launched Georgia’s statewide Operation Zero Tolerance impaired driving campaign.

“Law enforcement officers across the state will be out in force conducting sobriety checkpoints and concentrated patrols this week and next,” Dallas said. “Drive impaired and you will go to jail.”

In December 2005, 11 people died on Georgia highways during the 78-hour Christmas holiday driving period. There were 2,280 crashes and 949 injuries on record during the Christmas 2005 holiday driving period.

During the 2005/06 New Year’s holiday period, 15 people died. During that 78-hour period there were 2,424 crashes and 1,118 injuries. Adding to the annual tragedy of Georgia’s fatality totals, many holiday crashes involved drivers impaired either by drugs or alcohol, or a combination of both.

The Christmas holiday travel period begins Friday, December 22 at 6 p.m. and continues until midnight Monday, December 25, 2006. The New Year’s holiday period begins at 6 p.m. Friday, December 29 and ends at midnight Monday, January 1, 2007. Contact your local law enforcement agency for details about sobriety road checks and DUI enforcement patrols in your community.

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